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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · current · game · dip · mug · pop · bark · patient

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. game — a match
  3. mug — to rob
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. scale — size or range
  9. dip — to sink
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mug — a cup
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bark — to shout
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com